Electroplating apparatus



Aug. 17, 194s. R. H. OLSEN 2,447,270

ELECTROPLATING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 10, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 D 36 A3; Y 27 v 2;- 11E a: INVENTOR. 9 39 RODNEY OLSEN 7, 1948. R. H. OLSEN ELEC TRQPLATING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 10, 1945 INVENTOR. ROD/V57 A OL 55 71 147 al y/ 1 Patented Aug. 17 1948 UNI-TED" STATES PATENT OFFICE I i v 2,447,270-

'ELECTROPEATING' APPARATUS 'Rodney H. Olsen, Racine, Wis. Application'Ajugust' 10, 1945, Serial No. 610,041:

' This invention relates to an improved electro pl'ating' apparatus and it is one object of the invent/ion to" provide an electroplating apparatus of such construction'that tubes, cylinders. and other hollow devices "to be electroplated may be supported out of a---tank containing theelectroplating' fluid whe're they will be in full View of the operator and so 'ni'oun'ted that they may be very easily "applied.- to' or removed from means for holding the articles while being plated. Another object of the invention is to provide air-apparatus wherein a tube constituting the anode extend-s downwardly into the article andmay be'of such length that the interior of the article will .be *plat'edfor its full depth or a'portion-of its depth-according to the length of the cathode tube;

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus ofsu-ch construction that a number of tubes or other articles may be electroplated at the same time.

Another object of an electroplating apparatus wherein the means for holding the articles to be plated is disposed over the tank holding the electrolyte liquid so that as the electrolyte is circulated through the articleit may flow back into thetank for repeated use.

Another object of the invention is to provide an electroplating apparatus which is simple in construction and may be very easily set up for use in connection with an 'electroplating tank.

Another object of the invention is to so form the improved electroplating apparatus that when it is set up for use over a tank filled with electrolyte other articles may be plated by conventional mechanism for submerging them in electrolyte in the tank without interference by the mechanism constituting the subject matter of this invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view showing the improved electroplating apparatus in front elevation.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2- of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Fig. a is a view taken along line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view showing a port-ion of the improved apparatus in vertical section.

Fig. '6 is a sectional view upon an enlarged scale taken along line 6-6 of Figure '5.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of a modified form .of anode.

1 Claim. (01. 204-4237) the invention is to provide The tank I is ofthe type generally used for electroplating and may be-of any dimensions desired. This tank is open at its top and about its top is formed with an outstanding-flange or ledge :2. There have also been provided'bars'3 and '4 which extend horizontally in the tank near the open upper-[end thereof and are formed of conductive material so that electric current may pass throu gh them from the circuit wire '6 to the circuit wire I. The bars 3 and 4 are, of course, insulated from the tank, if a metal tank is used, so that a short circuit will 'be' avoided. The circuit wires are secured to' brackets 8 and '9' carried by the bars 3 and 4 and these brackets have terminal members 8" and 9' for engagement :by the wires.

The mechanism for supportingthe articles III to be electroplated includes a base bar H which is disposed in bridging relation to the tank with its end portions resting upon portions of the flange 2 at oppositesides of the tank. This bar may beformedof wood and has its upper face formed with a plurality of sockets l2 to receive lower ends of articles I0 and hold them in upright position. Post-s or standards It extend upwardly from the base bar in spaced relation to its endsand constitute supports for a manifold pipe 1'5 which is formed of conductive metal and has its under portion formed with longitudinally spaced openings i6 which are threaded to removably receive the threaded upper ends of tubes I! which are preferably perforated as shown inFigure 5. Ends of the manifold pipe carry upwardly extending elbows =l8 which are closed at their upper ends by plugs l9 and midway its lengthithe pipe l'5 has interposed therein a T- coupling 20 carrying an upstanding pipe 2| to the upper end of which is connected one end of the discharge pipe or hose 22 of a pump 23. This pump has its feed pipe or hose 24 of such length that it may be extended over the adjacent wide wall of the tank and downwarcly in the tank to such a depth that electrolyte may be freely pumped from the tank'and into the manifold pipe l5 from which it will flow through the tubes I1 and into the hollow articles [0 which are to be plated. Since the tubes H are each formed with a multiplicity of perforations 25 spaced from each other circumferentially and longitudinally of the tube and since the electrolyte is discharged from these perforations in fine streams which strike the inner surface of the article [0 throughout the length of the tube, metal will be quickly deposited upon the inner surface of the article. When unperforated :tubes 'll, shown in Figure '7, are used the metal will be deposited upon the hollow articles as the electrolyte flows upwardly therein. By cutting the tubes so that they are of predetermined length they will extend int-o the articles a predetermined distance and the articles will be plated to only the depth to which the tubes extend. It will thus be seen that either lon or short articles may be plated and that an article of known depth or length may be plated for only the desired distance from its upper end. Threaded upper ends of the articles I 3 are shown Wrappedwith tape 26 so that no metal Will be deposited thereon and the threads prevented from fitting threads of companion articles with which the articles 13 are connected when in use. The tubes may be formed of precious metal such as gold or silver or they may be formed of nickel, or any other metal with which it is desired to plate the article l0. A strip 21 constituting a bu bar extends transversely of the articles and this bar has portions 28 curved to form clamping portions which engage across the articles I!) which are also engaged by clamping strips or jaws 29 when bolts 33 aretightened, A conductor strip 3| extends vertically With its upper end secured to the bus bar by one of the bolts '39 and the lower portionof the strip 3| is provided With a clamping collar 32 engaged about the bar 3 to establish an electrical connection between the bus bar and the circuit wire '6. A second conductor strip 33 extends vertically and has its lower end provided with a clamping collar 34 engaged about bar 4 and its upper end portion bentto form an arm 35 terminating in a clamping hook or bill 36 which is secured about the manifold pipe 35 by a bolt 31. It will thus be seen that when current is turned on it may tfiow through the strips 3| and 33 and a circuit Will be established through the [tubes 11 or W and the articles I0, the tubes constituting anodes and the hollow articles serving as cathodes. .Metal will be carried from the anodes to the cathodes and the articles will be covered to a desired depth with metal with which it is desired to have them plated. The electroly te flows :back int-o the tank and is recirculated by the pump. Since the clamps 32 and 34 are secured to the bars 3 and 4 near one end of the tank, other articles to be plated may be suspended in the tank by hooks '38 carried by the bar 3 and thus supported in position to be plated by metal flowing from a suitable number of metal strips 39 constituting anodes and suspended from the bar 4. Therefore the improved electroplating mechanism will not interfere with use of the tank for electroplating by the methods now in use and requiring immersion of plating metal and articles to be plated in electrolyte solution in the tank.

Having thus describedthe invention, what is claimed is:

In an electroplating apparatus, "a tank open at its top, suspension bars of conductive material extending horizontally in said tank and insulated from each other, a base bar of insulating material extending across said tank and provided with longitudinally spaced sockets adapted to receive and removably support in upright position hollow articles to be plated constituting cathodes, uprights rising from the base bar adjacent opposite sides of the tank, a manifold pipe of conductive material extending horizontally over the base bar in upwardly spaced relation thereto and supported upon said uprights, perforated tubes removably carried by and extending downwardly from said manifold pipe and constituting anodes for extending into the articles to be plated and having their upper ends communicating with the manifold pipe, said tubes being of predeterminedlength for disposing their lower ends in predetermined spaced relation to lower ends of said articles, a horizontally extending bus bar of conductive material, mean-s for relea-sably securing the bus bar across the said articles [transversely thereof and in conductive engagement therewith, a vertically extending conductor strip connecting said bus bar with one of the bars in the tank, a vertically extending conductor strip connecting the other :bar in the tank with the manifold pipe, and a pump having an inlet pipe extending into the tank and an outlet pipe connected with the manifold pipe.

RODNEY H. OLSEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

